(Sent to political organizations, media, community organizations, concerned
individuals.)

Our grassroots movement wants to extend its deepest gratitude
to Representative Dom Costa, Senator Jay Costa, Senator Wayne Fontana,
Councilman Bruce Kraus and Councilman William Peduto for their
letters of support for The SOUL Program. They have no fear of
putting their principles and ideals into action and we are most thankful.
Their actions are an inspiration to all people
who place human dignity ahead of expansion and the earning of billions
of dollars.

These letters of support and also our online petitions which number ninety-six
in support of The SOUL Program will be given to Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg
and UPMC CEO Jeffrey Romoff. We have been upfront and honest with them, by mentioning
any new major actions we will take before taking those actions. Should our request
for financial support of The SOUL Program continue to be denied,
then our grassroots movement will initiate new actions to seek their
resignations.

The "National Disgrace" City Council testimony
of October 20 (which is also on our website)
was given to them over two weeks ago. Neither of them, nor their administrators,
has disputed any of the 12-points mentioned in that testimony.

Also, the University of Pittsburgh wants to have a 200-bed expansion
of student housing on Oakland Avenue. It was a front page article in
the October 31 edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. This desire of
Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg is unconscionable.

Attached is a letter to Mr. Stephen R. Tritch, Chairperson of the Board
of Trustees of the University of Pittsburgh. A question has been asked
of him about this issue and our community deserves an answer.
Should he choose not to respond, then our community will call upon many
of you for support to receive that answer.

The action of Pitt wanting to expand its student housing and of UPMC
wanting to sell its property to Pitt for this expansion is yet another
example of the arrogance and the "deliberate
indifference" of Mark Nordenberg and Jeffrey Romoff to
the pain and suffering in our community.

Life should never be a game of monopoly whereby institutions
such as Pitt and UPMC carve a community for their own benefit.

We are asking those of you who have not yet shown support for The SOUL
Program to break your silence. We are also asking each
of you, on your own, to take an action to end the
expansion of the University of Pittsburgh into our community.

A passage from the book The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran says it well:

"And as a single leaf turns not yellow
but with the silent knowledge of the whole tree,
So the wrong-doer cannot do wrong
without the hidden will of you all."

As Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the University of Pittsburgh,
I would like to keep you informed of the University’s policies
and actions that affect the community of South Oakland. You can visit
www.oaklanddignity.com to see the ongoing quest of our grassroots movement
to create a clean and healthy environment in South Oakland.

Attached is a copy of the University Times. Please peruse the “National
Disgrace” paid message on page 14.

After you have had a chance to discuss the points made in this message
with Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg, I would like to meet with you to
discuss this message at a time and place convenient to you.

In the meantime, I would like to share with you additional beliefs of
mine concerning point # 10. I believe it is unconscionable that Pitt
Chancellor Mark Nordenberg and any administrator or trustee of Pitt would
consider further expansion of student housing on Oakland Avenue. It is
just as unconscionable that UPMC CEO Jeffrey Romoff would consider selling
UPMC property to the University of Pittsburgh for this expansion.

Life should never be a game of monopoly whereby institutions such as
Pitt and UPMC carve a community for their own benefit.

I am requesting that you share your beliefs with me concerning this
point by answering the following question: What are the benefits to the
elderly, long-time residents of South Oakland by having a 200-bed expansion
of student housing on Oakland Avenue?